Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Research and Development Centre

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

430 Gouin Boulevard
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec
J3B 3E6

Sainte-Clotilde Experimental Farm
1815 River Road
Ste-Clotilde, Quebec
J0L 1W0

L'Acadie Experimental Farm
1134, Road 219
St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec
J2Y 1C4

Frelighsburgh Experimental Site
57 chemin St-Armand
Frelighsburg, Quebec
J0J 1C0

Telephone: 579-224-3100

Email: aafc.saint-jean-sur-richelieurdc-crdsaint-jean-sur-richelieu.aac@canada.ca

Latitude: 45.301549
Longitude: −73.273251

The Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Research and Development Centre was established in 1912 in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec.

The Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Research and Development Centre helps the Canadian horticultural sector to remain competitive and sustainable by developing original knowledge, tools and know-how, primarily in the fields of horticultural crop protection with an approach biovigilance and precision horticulture. The center is very supportive of the departmental priority to "Develop new knowledge, foster innovation and increase the adoption and commercialization of agri-food and agro-industrial products, practices or processes."

The Center is a participating site of the Minor Use Pesticides Program, which aims to minimize the impact of the agricultural industry on the environment, while improving the pre- and post-harvest quality of crops. It is one of the most important experimental sites for the Pest Control Centre's registration requests for the Minor Use Pesticide Program, with a team of biologists and their technicians. This research corresponds with industry needs in Quebec and Canada.

Facilities at the Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Research and Development Centre

• Three research sub-stations at L'Acadie, Sainte-Clotilde and at Frelighsburg (Quebec). These sites comprise a total of 245 hectares, characterized by clay and muck soils.
• Resources: laboratories, greenhouses, growth chambers, cold rooms and a spraying room, all of which have leading-edge equipment.

Current research activities

Biovigilance of horticultural crop pests

• Early detection, monitoring and characterization of bio-aggressors at spatial, temporal and quantitative levels to assess the risk they pose.
• Use of detection, quantification and prediction tools to identify problems and define intervention strategies in plant protection.

Precision Horticultural

• Valorization of information derived from technologies for decision-making.
• Use of high spatial and temporal data, including climate and remote sensing data.
• Precision control and input management to optimize interventions in a mosaic of diversified and intensive horticultural crops.

Results of our research

• Implemented effective and sustainable strategies for protecting horticultural crops (vines, strawberries, onions) against Botrytis, leading to substantial fungicide savings.
• Implemented an effective and sustainable program to protect potatoes from the golden nematode (based on appropriate crop rotation and the selection of resistant varieties), in cooperation with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
• Reduced the impact and severity of Pseudomonas bacterial diseases for horticultural production through the use of cover crops, such as mulch.
• Developed effective physical methods for fighting weeds in horticultural crops in response to herbicide resistance.
• We have developed molecular markers to detect weed-resistant herbicides.
• Developed a user-friendly software program (CIPRA) to forecast pests, thereby reducing the number of pesticide applications on fruit and vegetable crops.
• Developed an aerial platform that detects fungi spores, enabling producers to decide on the ideal moment to implement appropriate phytosanitary treatments.
• Reduced the use of insecticides in vineyards by 50% through entomology research.
• We developed and transferred a commercial decision support system to determine the optimum nitrogen dose (Soil, Culture, Atmosphere and Nitrogen (SCAN)).
• We have developed a safe treatment of reusable containers to prevent the progression of the blueberry fly.
• We have highlighted the impact of road corridors and mowing on the production of allergen pollen. Double shearing reduces pollen production by a factor of 8.8. The Ministère des Transports du Québec has amended its mowing standard.
• We have developed new fertilizer grids for tomato, pepper and cucumber crops.
• We developed a new modeling approach for predicting apple quality at harvest and in storage based on meteorological data collected during the pre-harvest fruit season.